


if he said help me kill the president

by alex_archer



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Kinda, Mind Control, Probably Really OOC but #IDGAF, Psychological Torture, Torture, serial killer au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2018-05-21 05:51:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6040654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alex_archer/pseuds/alex_archer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hyperion has been working on the Odysseus Project for forever, keeping it secret at all costs. When Jack plays favorite with a test subject, he enlists him as his carefully sculpted weapon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	if he said help me kill the president

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve had this idea in my head for forever. It’s basically just a serial killer au with a twist. I finally decided to write it and I’m kinda content with how it came out.
> 
> Title is from the song 'Wires' by The Neighborhood
> 
> You can find this work on tumblr; http://hawketrash.tumblr.com/post/139470685002/ive-had-this-idea-in-my-head-for-forever-its

“Ya know, cupcake, I don’t do this for just anyone,” Jack winked at the boy strapped into the chair before him. There were thick leather belts holding the kid down, restraining his movement as much as possible. The room they were in was a sterile white, with bright lights trained on the unfolding operation. Machines dominated the room, blinking lights everywhere, and wires connected them to the kid.

Right now, Jack was simply working on the younger man’s cybernetic arm. He’d peeled off the casings and was tinkering with the inner mechanics. Nothing serious, just some modifications for performance.

“Normally, I get those friggin’ lackey scientists down in R&D to do the physical modifications and I work on the programming… BUT! Someone decided to take it upon themselves to modify something they really shouldn’t have and one of you killed three scientists. I’m all for killing idiots like that, but I can’t have this secret getting out. Do you know how hard it is to keep you beauties all to myself?” Jack asked rhetorically. The kid couldn’t actually answer, his mouth was gagged with one of the highest quality muzzles that Hyperion made. Luckily, the fear in the younger man’s singular brown eye was enough to give Jack the answer he wanted.

“So you understand that this won’t be happening all the time. M’kay, pumpkin? You won’t get this sugar again. After today, it’ll just be the spice you’re used to,” Jack’s smile widened when he saw the fear intensify into sheer terror. What little color had been left in the kid’s face drained instantly.

“Unlesssss…” Jack started, dragging the last syllable for effect, “Unless you decide to work for me. Then it’ll just be you and me, baby.”

Confusion overcame the terror, but it was quickly replaced by anger. The kid began to thrash as much as was possible underneath all that bondage. His bare chest rubbing underneath the leather straps left the ivory skin red and raw. The noises that were coming from under the muzzle made the hair on Jack’s neck raise. Under any other circumstances, Jack would probably be turned on.

“Before you say anything, consider this. If you say no, well… I’ll kill ya,” Jack brought the screwdriver down hard, lodging the metal rod into the cybernetic wiring. Sparks shot up from the damaged wires around it and electricity surged up the arm into the boy’s chest. Jack’s attention was solely on the intense pain now spread across the kid’s face. He arched up against the strapping, fighting to break free. His entire body was convulsing with the shock, and he screamed into the leather muzzle. Jack’s eyes followed the veins in his neck, his attention trailing downwards to appreciate the contrasting blue tattoos that decorated the kid’s collar bones. Jack didn’t know which he wanted more, to kiss the kid’s neck or wrap his hands around it and squeeze until his body stilled forever.

When the boy fell back to the chair, Jack was brought out of his thoughts. The younger man’s brow was furrowed together in stress. His singular brown eye was closed, and only opened when Jack spoke again, “I’m gonna take this gag off, kiddo. If you scream, I’ll deck your lights out and you’ll wake up back in R&D hell. My offer will be gone, out the damn airlock, and I’ll give you to the scientists for testing. Understand?” The boy met Jack’s eyes and nodded. The older man stood to reach around the kid’s neck, his fingers methodically undoing the metal buckle. He pulled the straps out and brought the muzzle away from the boy. He noticed a trail of blood dripping down from the younger man’s nose, and it would seem the kid also bit straight through his lip.

“Alright. First things first, Princess, what’s your name?” Jack questioned, half expecting to get a freaking sarcastic one liner, wouldn’t be the first time. Hell, he probably would have prefered that to the bloody spit he got launched into his face. Sputtering, Jack wiped at his wet cheek with his wrist. If the kid had just made a wisecrack, he’d just have gotten an insult or maybe a back hand. Instead, this scrawny idiot got another twist of the screwdriver.

The scream that ripped from the boy’s lips brought more than a tingle to Jack’s heart, it sent it racing. The sound soaked into every fiber of the larger man, and his smile came back with increased dimension. He didn’t originally want the kid screaming, but now he wanted nothing more than to make him do it again.

Recovering, the kid spoke, “I… My name. It’s Rhys.” His voice was cracked and airy, his throat must have been raw. Oddly enough, that also tugged at Jack’s heartstrings. It must’ve been at least a day since this boy had water. Jack turned to scan the room and saw a half empty cup across the way. He grabbed it and held it to the boy’s lips. The kid clenched them tighter than a virgin and shook his head.

“Ugh, for Christ’s sa- It’s not poisoned!” Jack groaned, pushing the cup harder against the younger man’s lips. A drop of his blood fell into the water, spreading so elegantly. Finally, his lips parted to allow the liquid through. He sucked it down then, eagerly draining the cup in seconds. “Calm down, kiddo. Don’t want you getting hiccups, that would annoy me,” Jack pulled the cup away from Rhys, chuckling as the kid followed it. His tongue darted out to catch the last few drops that fell down his chin.

Putting the cup back on the counter, Jack turned to face the younger man. He was surprised to find Rhys’ face contorted in pain once more, “What the- Now what’s wrong?” The smaller man’s eye darted down to his cybernetic arm and to the screwdriver still lodged in his elbow. “Oh, right,” Jack muttered, pulling the screwdriver out in one yank.

“Alright, question time again,” Jack pulled his stool closer to the chair and sat, inching further still to Rhys’ face. “How would you like an Echo Eye implant, totally 100% free. I know you lost your eye in that lab accident a year ago. You’d get a shiny new port as well, not that shit USB drive you’ve currently got. Seriously, did you have your local hobo install that for ya, kiddo?” Jack couldn’t fathom what would posses a person to get tech that crappy installed into their body by choice.

“Of course, it would be prime Hyperion tech,” Jack continued. He popped his finger in his mouth, wetting the tip. Leaning over the kid, Jack circled the wet digit around Rhys’ port. He felt the static around the metal and he felt the cybernetic man stiffen beneath him. “Nothing like this trash in your skull. I’d oversee the preparations and surgeries myself,” Jack retracted his hand and gingerly placed it on his own chest. He was fully prepared to argue further, to barter until the kid had no choice but to accept. Jack may have threatened to chain him in the metaphorical dungeons of Helios, but Rhys had been Jack’s favorite for a while now. It was clear he’d be the right choice for the project, but Jack did have to keep his reputation in tact after all. Couldn’t have word spreading that Handsome Jack had a soft spot for this particular test subject for the Odysseus Project, poor Rhysie might’ve been eliminated by his competition before he and Jack had gotten a chance to play.

“I’ll do it,” Rhys spoke with determination, mustering all of his courage. His answer shocked Jack, to say the least. To be honest, it set Jack aback for a second. This kid was more perfect than he thought, he hadn’t even inquired further into the deal.

“What do you want from _me_?” Jack spoke too soon and his growing grin faltered. He suddenly became very aware of his relaxed posture and stiffened.

“Not a thing, cupcake, I wouldn’t have even asked you… but I need a willing participant to make the cybernetics work in the first place. Learned that the hard way,” Jack left it at that, leaving Rhys to think about what it was he hadn’t said. “We’ll do the surgery now, kitten,” Jack stood and patted the kid on the cheek. He grabbed the muzzle and replaced it, grinning when Rhys didn’t fight it.

Jack stepped away from the chair and strolled over to the door. He tapped once and it opened. People in lab coats began to file in, swarming both Rhys and the machines around him, sending the kid back into a panic. Jack caught one of the scientists by the arm, stopping the frightened man dead in his tracks. Whispering so Rhys wouldn’t hear, Jack gave the scientist an order,  “No anesthesia, m’kay? Wouldn’t want it messing with his brainwaves now would we, pumpkin?”

Jack released the guy and turned to face Rhys once more, “See ya on the other side, kiddo.” It was with those sweet parting words and wink that Jack left him with, evacuating the room to let the scientists do their work. The only thing left for him to do was to wait for his hero to wake anew.

* * *

 

“Jack, I need my orders. I can’t make a move until you verbally give me the okay,” Rhys spoke quietly, not wanting to make any sound that wasn’t necessary. Of course, he was far enough from the target that even if he screamed, the bastard wouldn’t be able to hear him. That’s how Jack liked it, and he’d trained Rhys well.

“Yeah, Rhysie, hang on!” Jack’s voice came across all muffled, and for a second Rhys thought it may have been his own Echo system that was crapping out, then he realized he could never be so lucky.

“Jack, everything alright?” Rhys pulled his eye away from the scope of his gun, raising his hand to fiddle with the ECHO Comm device in his ear.

“Nah, pumpkin, someone’s messin’ with the signal. It seems to be coming from down there,” Panic sunk into Rhys then. Jack didn’t think it was him who was messing with the signal, did he? He looked away and scanned the mountain tops around him. There’s no way someone was close enough to mess with Rhys’ systems, he’d searched the area thoroughly.

“Rhysie, baby, go ahead and move to another area, wouldja? Gotta see if that makes it better,” Jack’s voice was clearer, but still staticy. “And while you’re at it, kid, just shoot the bastard down there when ya get a chance,” Rhys heard a click and then nothing. He was alone planetside, that hadn’t happened since before the experiments.

Standing, Rhys pulled the bolt of his sniper rifle back and grabbed the elemental bullet from the chamber. You always have to think about safety in times like this. He swung the large gun over his shoulder and started walking around the ridge he had been perched on. His boots threatened to slip in the sand, Jack always got so angry at him for his ‘ridiculous, idiotic, stupid shoes’. Hey, you’ve gotta take your victories where you can.

Once he was sure he’d walked a great enough distance, Rhys brought his rifle around and kneeled. He flicked out the kickstand and lowered it steadily onto the rock in front of him. Bringing his eye back down to see through the scope. He lined up his target, a simple bandit leader. This was a routine job for him, Jack often had him out in the wasteland hunting down the leaders they couldn’t just blast off the map. Despite what Jack preached, he didn’t moonshot as many bandit camps as he wanted. More often than not, he couldn’t destroy the settlements because they offered something to Hyperion. This one was no different.

It was something about Eridium, this town mined it or processed it or something… To be honest, Rhys couldn’t care less. He was here for the damned hit. If he didn’t shoot this filthy bandit like Jack asked, he’d only be added to the list himself. Speaking of which, he should probably take this shot.

Rhys stared down the crosshairs and set everything up perfectly. He pulled the bolt and loaded the gun. Taking a deep breath, Rhys pulled the safety trigger. Once he was sure the shot would be true, he lightly tugged at the main trigger, only applying enough pressure to fire the round. The shot flew and sunk into its target with a thud. Or it would have if Rhys hadn’t been too far away to hear anything. Satisfied with his work, Rhys triggered the camera in his ECHO Eye.

He pulled away from the gun and began to dismantle it. He didn’t rush, no one would think to look all the way up here for the killer. There were only a few other people on Pandora who could make that shot the way Rhys did, but none of them were trained _personally_ by Handsome Jack. The memories of how Jack trained him, the things he did, were enough to harden anyone to stone. That’s what the job entails when you’re an assassin, and it was all too easy to assume that position.

Knocking the kickstand back into place, Rhys stood, fully intent on peacefully returning to a position where Jack could get the signal back and Rhys could be picked up by a shuttle. All those plans went out the freaking window as a wire was quickly thrown over his head and tightened around his neck.

Immediately, Rhys began to fight back. He dropped his rifle and brought his hands to grapple at those that were holding the wire. He gripped the thick wrists and tried his best to offset his weight, hoping he could topple himself and the assailant. Unfortunately, the attacker held his ground, holding Rhys’ weight up with incredible strength.

As the edges of his vision began to grow blurry, Rhys turned to a different method. His hands fell and began to strike behind him, not hesitating to play dirty and use the assailants ‘goods’ against them.

“God dammit, stop struggling, kiddo,” That voice, he knew it.

“J-Jack?” Rhys croaked, using what precious little air he had left.

“Stop fighting, I need to cut off your air supply, he could come back any minute,” whether Rhys fell slack because he’d given up or because he trusted the man, he’d never know. He dropped his hands and let the stranger do their work. He felt his fingers get tingly one by one. He felt his legs start to go numb, nearly giving out at the knees. It wasn’t until his vision completely blacked that he truly gave into it, collapsing to the ground in a heap.

* * *

 

Timothy knelt over the smaller man, pounding his chest with an interlocked fist. “C’mon, kid. I need you to come back, I can’t do this without you,” he grumbled. Ceasing his pounding, Tim leant down and tilted the boy’s head back, opening his mouth as well. He leaned down and breathed into the cybernetic man. He brought himself back up to pound a few more times before lowering back down to breathe again. He repeated this again and again, his actions getting more frantic and more intense. Just as he was about to strike down with all of his force, the boy’s eyes burst open and he lifted off the ground gasping for air.

“Woah, pumpkin! Calm down!” Timothy immediately went to hold him down, fighting against the kid’s flailing arms. He put all of his weight on the smaller man and was able to get him to still.

“What are you?” The boy’s eyes were locked on Tim’s face now, his face contorted in confusion. It was then that Timothy realized he had forgotten to put his goggles and scarf back on.

“Shit,” he pulled back from the boy, letting him scramble back to brace himself against a rock. “Listen, I didn’t mean for it to happen like this. I’m not Jack, I’m not him,” Timothy held his hands out in a display of peace. “I need you to trust me,” the younger man chuckled at that, and Timothy couldn’t blame him.

“What the hell did you do to me?” the boy croaked. Timothy reached to his belt with one hand and pulled his canteen off, tossing it over.

“First of all, what’s your name, kiddo?” Timothy asked, he needed to know if the rumors were true.

“It’s Rhys,” so Handsome Jack did make his favorite test subject into his favorite weapon.

“Okay, Rhys. What do you know about the Odysseus Project?” Timothy cut right to the chase. He needed to know if all of this was worth it.

“I’m it,” Rhys sucked down the water like he hadn’t taken a drink in years.

“Perfect. I’m sorry about,” Timothy gestured to his own neck, studying the already forming welt around the kid’s neck. “My signal wouldn’t have kept Jack blocked for much longer, so I needed to reset your systems. The easiest way of doing that was… well…”

“By stopping my brain activity,” Rhys nodded in understanding. “So why did you kill me and bring me back? Jack won’t pay you anything for me-”

“No, I don’t want a ransom. I need to know something, Rhys. How would you like to help me kill the President of Hyperion?” Timothy held out his hand and waited, his grin growing. He saw the debate in Rhys’ eyes, and he chuckled when the boy reached out to grab Tim’s hand.

“I would fucking love to,” Rhys smiled in return, using Timothy to pull himself up.

“Alright, time to dethrone a god.”

* * *

 

Jack lifted his foot and brought it back down to rest on the piece of cybernetics laying in front of him. He looked down at the blood soaking the sand around it, noting the still sparking wires threatening to light the torn fabric pieces on fire. His lips curled into a smile, baring his teeth to the world. He moved to roll the metal arm beneath him, relishing in the crunch of the metal beneath his sole. “Oh hooo, Rhysie baby. You wish it was only this easy to get rid of me,” he spoke out to the nothingness of the Pandoran desert, bringing his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun.

“You don’t get to be Odysseus without me, pumpkin. You can’t win this story without Hercules’ bow,” Jack pushed his sleeves up and stepped over the arm, content to walk into the sunset if that’s what it took to find that bastard kid.

**Author's Note:**

> i probs will definitely not be continuing this bc reasons.
> 
> Please Kudo, Comment, Bookmark... It's how I know there's other trash like me out there... In the void...
> 
> Find me over on tumblr at either connortemple.tumblr.com or hawketrash.tumblr.com


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